The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-12-02
A MYSTERY INDEED.

u - 49,
] a grsat RorruW had come into my life.
/ There Is nothing remarkable in that. What
heart can be found without its bitterness 2
\ But wherein my seFTow differed from most
/ was this, that u was all concentrated in one
blow, "a if in compensation for the unbroken
happiness which had preceded it. For me
! there had been one dRy-one long cloudless
| daE-followed by night which I know can
never give place to day again, until the
eternal day daTBs.
! But / am not about to write my own story
/ it will never be written, Yet but for my Own
story should not have the other to tell. ]
I came across come lines the other day that
exactly express my case, and its relation to
that Of another.
"Onoe sat on 2 crimson throne,
And held the world in fee.
Below me heard my brothers moan,
And Dent me down to ssej
Lovingly bent and looked at them,
But had no inward pain.
! aaI IN the henri Of my ruby gem,
Like the rainbow without the rain.
lily throne is vanished heInless Ilis
At the foot Of its broken stair
Aud the sOTrOVlB OF all humanity
Through my heart make q thorOuglIfRr6"
It was tins sympathy, born IN the darkness
of my own despair, which brought lie into
close relations with Elsa Cunningham, and
thus gave me the weird experience I am
about tD narrate.
1t was at Zermatt that first met her. She
was staying with her husband and little son
at the same hotel rs myself. / had come
there to chaperon my niece, Rhoda Thomp-
son, who was an enthusiastic climber, and
had with her made most Of the aBceutg at all
possible to women. Mr. Cunningham was o
member of the Alpine Club, and chose TO ex-
press admiration Of our exploits We were
thrown a good deal together FOR we not only
made the SAME party in several expeditions,
but, when we we're confined to our hotel by
weather, Mr. Cunningham would read aloud
to us all together, or with his boy between
his knees tell one story after another Of live
~ adventure.
At these times Elsa las learned to call her
would appear fully at peace, if not absolutely
happy; but coming upon her alone / always
noticed q look of troubled anxiety on her
face. She VAS pretty woman about thirty,
! think, but never Was told her Rge--and
she had the most sensitive face in the world
She was French, though her husband was
English, and she spoke the prettiest broken
English imaginable. Her husband hdored
her; her child was beautiful. and strong. She
was evidently Q favOrite Of Fortune.
Yet certainly detected in her dark restless
| eyes something veEyllk fear. / think that
/ from tue first she knew that saw in her
| what Others did not, and she Was grateful for
my nnspohep synlpathy, for sometimes she
Would SLIP her tluttermg little hand into
mine, where it would rest for minutes to-
| gether, and then she would gaze out at the
| mOUnialn peaks with unutterable sadness.
| She never made any Of the asCentE, being
| too tlinid, but remained with her boy.
| One evening MEE. CuninghAm and were
! watching for the return Of her husband and
! were with them. | had remained behind at
| Mrs. ConinghamB reqneRt-=the first request
| she had made me. Mamma IL afraid Of
| going 20 sleep, l think, d whispered little
Oarl. II makes her 60 i'll TO go to sleep
Iamilel for answer to this odd speech, bltt
! even as smiled an alsgnl could notaecount
! for seized me, and ] looked toward thechilds
motheT. She had swooneai
/ i hastily took up Q glass OF water, which
| happened 10 be upon the table, and was about
t. sprinkle her face when Carl put back my
hand with his small fingers, saying, with the
! strongest look / ever saw ON a ehildas face
/ no, Miss Thompson; it is Of no use to try
/ 70 wake mamma when she goes 70 sleep 80.
I Papa holds her hard till she Wakes-she Il
afraid when she first wakes.
4 / did make an effort TO rouse her, however,
4 which was Of no avail
Il told You SO, = said little Carl in triumph.
'i4ou ut and hold mammals hand, and when
she wakes say Elsa very softly.p
II ! sat down as directed, and took the little
delegate hard in mine How cold it waBl
Il 'CnrL,H 1 said in alarm, ARE You pllite
lssare your mother u often like this, and that
4 II haya told thee 50, " replied the child
Ike lis InotheT5, And when pa s.rs e sSSas
yOu VIII bot say that mamma hasbseD sRleep
She viii say this TO him herself-and IL
NJ knows 1t now n
The little fellow nodded at me iopressiyaly
Il IS q he could tell more did he 80 choose Bnl
1 did not think It right to question him,
much as the mystery excited my curiosity
Moreover. ] scarcely think the child WorlG
have told me more even had done so
sat still pondsTing and continuing &
keep the small band within mine
lnabout half an hour felt he hand vi
9rate strangely gaft who had hean watch.
ing nis mother, whispered 'Bag sElss ~
LISA said in Voice that know had
grown very tender since ny trouble.
, were revealed IN AL their strange HagsteriOn,
beauty. Then p smile fickerad over hei
Iaee, and she SAID; Let IT be always Elsa
How feel myself well VI th YouW
You shall be Elsa, dear, and I-Dlffst L,
ansg Kissed her.
! fnrn, isn't It ~ she next said. ialhey are nj
really late 1nt they will not yet be here. n
4 IheyWere late: j knew it, and 1 lad grown
eil ai,f Dttl Aed sy9lded saving anything
bllt tne9 Wlil 81 return safely, she add
ed as il reading my thonehta
/ 4 @as e9lnpiet sig mystited, but forbore .,
Itook ont from my pocket little yolum,
Of ttelne,s poems -=lHg Constant eOmnonio
and asked ii l should read Something
'BO, pleuee, she answered pFonF,tly
Head sNacht hegt auf den fremdeii Neisen.
and RftsEward Der Tod, das Isl die kahil
haciit
Tread these. and efterward others.
HOY comfortable il yoar voice, Joanl
ehe said nf lAHh AngeripG On my MANS AZ i
ltWere 2 pleasure TO her 70 speak It. tlIf
were gong y die 1 Should Ike YOU to DO neal
III Il looked 1T The fair, youthful face. ID wh3el
tbs color Had returned. glowing ana ver5
pleasant 70 see, and could not imagine her 4
q ing, Though ] had eeen her sleep tia
strange sAespRo like q death. She appearei
i 70 be IN perffgt health. tLA perplexing safi
. ness WHe: felt convinced % the Hfnd.
wished she would eanide 10 me; Whg iidns
she, Elnea she seemed TO cate fo41aa s. 3liteh
n Then remembered lnF oNn inability q
e0niifle my own SORROW hi agiY en- ana FNif
fQu must rot speak o. dying, Lisa. y0i
are ~ fogefhef 500 young. too well
Qlauee which pasaed BETWEEN her and til
eatln lii34tfnDted nv sAiltence. ii WAs
glance ef coAifatllenDu,stf III caan0t aA
what les4de8 Hstt little Carl showed tdwarl
! me nqiseie5siy-ee Was tho Qgiotsst child
eger kaeN and loalting graFely Into my fac
nQotlerat said But nc shall sGoa die
9 Manllaa and ailsll a v tagetiier
WAS eliited the p4in u irving 70 dians
{ this fancy ~ the fdtiifn az tlfs aixiopsii
G Watshod+fnr party. 3ir. GoniHglhip IVES n
4 NtAl M alltaf tllesaldlA caNid moi but n
mars he palenea8, even fheopgis the CLOS
! 7norpiqine ding aiFafa ptoauces 30 won
a vice g haa Wifei Who met him With q sia,